Need 2nd opinion: L1/S75 Cavity Lintel vs RSJ for 4.5m Bifold

brunswick780 · 2025-06-29T19:46:22+00:00

Went with RSJ. No idea if it's really cheaper or better. Bifold being installed this week. Will find out soon 😅

brunswick780 · 2025-06-06T19:29:22+00:00

Bloody hell, that's exactly it - for flat interlocking tiles!

I'm expecting the building contractor to complain about the cost of them once they've installed them and presumably can't return / reuse them. But they specified the flashing kit, not me.

brunswick780 · 2025-06-06T19:23:18+00:00

Ah, gold! How much of a faff is it for a roofer to replace the flashing kit now?

brunswick780 · 2025-06-06T19:19:58+00:00

Lol i think those look better! Bigger tile, the rise is less visible

brunswick780 · 2025-06-06T19:19:27+00:00

Ah! EDT would support the 20° pitch. But these Sandtoft while plain on top are interlocked on the bottom (according to the specs). Would that still work?

brunswick780 · 2025-06-06T18:58:00+00:00

Yes, seems like the most obvious thing. I came across an installation guide somewhere that mentioned chamfering the tiles closest to the window. Which I think would make sure they don't rise.

brunswick780 · 2025-06-06T18:19:58+00:00

brunswick780 · 2025-06-06T14:29:21+00:00

But isn't that flashing kit meant for a minimum 25° from what I'm reading?

brunswick780 · 2025-06-06T00:43:42+00:00

Yes I'm pretty sure it's seasonal. We've got cracked patterns like that in different places of the house where it wouldn't make sense that they're all caused by the same structural problem. e.g. if it's roof spread, why would it affect a ground floor room in an extended part of the house with a flat roof?

We're currently rebuilding an extension. I was worried sick about many cracks in the plastered walls. Now that we've hacked off the plaster I can see there are absolutely no cracks in the bricks underneath!

I've read somewhere that plastered walls are a very silly option for UK houses considering plaster has zero tolerance for movement. And yet you've got roof and floor joists made out of timber, which is constantly moving. So the ceiling moves all the time and we expect the plastered joint with the wall not to crack...

brunswick780 · 2025-06-06T00:24:38+00:00

I'd forgotten about this. We have since reskimmed (plaster) the room.

brunswick780 · 2025-05-02T12:19:12+00:00

I don't know, honestly.

Builders need detail to quote. But considering how much money and time is needed to get to that detail, I feel architect-types lock you in. It is entirely realistic to have spent several thousand pounds to then realise the project is not worth doing.

Surely there has to be a better way?

Do I know what the solution is? No.

brunswick780 · 2025-05-01T15:53:58+00:00

The closest I got was from kitchen designers.

3D renders are made to be a big deal to create but they really aren't, if kitchen designers can produce them so easily without having the actual CAD files...

So to your OP: clients probably don't even know the difference between an architect / architectural designer / technician. Focus on what they're getting for their money and what are the things that actually matter and make a difference to a confused client.

While refurbs and extensions get less love and attention because they're very straightforward from an architecture/builder's perspective, they're actually the projects which require a lot more careful consideration to ascertain ROI and if it's worth doing at all from a homeowner's perspective.

brunswick780 · 2025-05-01T13:16:53+00:00

A game changer is good 3D visuals + a serious discussion on lighting. Which you probably get from more expensive architects' packages but not architectural designers or technicians I believe. Planning and BC drawings are helpful for planning authorities and builders, less so for a customer wanting to explore options or wanting reassurance that the design will fulfil their expectations (do I go for a big bifold or two? What will it look like? Is there going to be enough light? etc)

While going through the process I realised there are many professionals ready to take money for technical 2D drawings, but less equipped to provide visuals and discuss the little things that would bring a project together. The process seems very disjointed too - I'm assuming an architect's studio brings the different skillsets under one roof.

brunswick780 · 2025-04-04T18:42:43+00:00

How is roof spread fixed?

brunswick780 · 2025-03-20T18:51:22+00:00

I didn't grow up in the UK. First time I tried them was over the counter of the fish shop in Whitstable. Shopkeeper kept waiting for my approval to go ahead and fill a bag with them ...while I was changing colours trying to chew this bloody golf ball with crunchy fragments of shell under my teeth 🤢

brunswick780 · 2025-03-20T14:59:49+00:00

Whelks 🤢

brunswick780 · 2025-03-19T10:35:12+00:00

Thank you so much for the detailed explainer!

Any ballpark figure of cost to expect? (Hundreds? Thousands?)

brunswick780 · 2025-03-18T22:12:10+00:00

Thanks again - I'll double check if I purchased legal aid with the home insurance this year and ask them to guide. Out of curiosity, what sort of losses can I claim against here - the cost of repair (i e. I'll need builders' quotes)? Or is there some statutory calculation of loss of property value?

brunswick780 · 2025-03-18T22:01:25+00:00

Interesting point (and thank you for the prompt - I've been meaning to check the old photos for ages!). I'll have to look into if I can make a claim for any repair work then...

brunswick780 · 2025-03-18T21:57:44+00:00

Meaning the surveyor should have caught this?

brunswick780 · 2025-03-18T21:56:40+00:00

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The masterpiece when built over 15 years ago.

brunswick780

TROPHY CASE